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Commissioner Dye Addresses PNWA Annual Meeting

October 18, 2017

Commissioner Rebecca Dye on Tuesday told the audience at the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association’s (PNWA) annual meeting that though the Supply Chain Innovation Teams Initiative she has led is coming to a close, the work necessary to maintain an efficient and reliable international, intermodal supply chain is never-ending.

During her remarks, delivered in Portland, Oregon, Commissioner Dye emphasized the criticality of thinking beyond the confines of port boundaries; and, she warned against becoming too focused on port congestion as well as believing that there is any one solution to achieving supply chain reliability.

"The ocean-based supply chain is incredibly complex and it reaches far beyond the gate of a cargo terminal at a seaport. There are so many factors that can undermine the efficiency of this already strained system, getting visibility into supply chains is not only invaluable, but can make a meaningful difference to the economic competitiveness of the Nation," Commissioner Dye told attendees.

The first phase of the Supply Chain Innovation Teams Initiative, which focused on imports, launched in May 2016 and concluded in October 2016. Phase Two of the program began this past July with the establishment of the Export Teams.

"The Supply Chain Innovation Teams project was never solely about port congestion, it was about how to make the system in its entirety work better. There is no one ‘solution’ to the challenges of achieving efficiency in the supply chain, there is only the need for a commitment to constant improvement."

Commissioner Rebecca F. Dye is a Commissioner with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission. The thoughts and comments expressed here are her own and do not necessarily represent the position of the Commission.